Welcome to 969 Sports

969 Sports

The Western Conference fell with a bang, the Clippers didn t wait, Harden vaguely, Leonard lost alone

1:59am, 12 May 2025Basketball

We saw the tiebreak between the Clippers and the Nuggets. We originally thought that this game would last the last second, but after half of the game, there was no suspense and showed a one-sided trend, which really refreshed everyone's perception. For the Clippers, after this game, the season will be truly over. The Western Conference fell with a loud bang. The Clippers didn't wait. Harden vaguely, only one of them stood and lost.

In fact, at the beginning of the playoffs, the Clippers were also a hot spot in the Western Conference, because they were too fierce at the end of the regular season and had to make people have more associations. However, after this game, the Western Conference fell down with a sudden blow. In fact, this also shows one thing: the regular season really cannot be compared with the playoffs. This also reminds everyone that after entering the playoffs, some players will maintain growth, while some players' data will shrink, which is normal.

The Clippers did not wait for the victory in this series, and after the team moved to a new home court, they did not win the victory in a series. So who is responsible for losing in the tiebreak game? What I want to say here is that Harden ranks at the top. In fact, in competitions like this, the main core must play, and there is no room for bargaining. As a result, we saw Harden and only scored 7 points. It seems that 13 assists were sent, but this is not enough to support the team.

Not only was Harden vaguely the first round tiebreaker this year, but Harden has performed poorly in the past few tiebreakers. In 23 years, he only had 9 points against the Celtics, and in 21 years, he made 5 of 17 against the Bucks and scored 22 points. To a certain extent, Harden seems to have really switched to another mode when he is in the playoffs. I don’t know if it’s Harden’s psychological factor or why. There is no way to do this. Now that the game has been completed, I can only accept losing.

If you want to say that Leonard in this game, he definitely lost while standing. Leonard was very brave and played very strongly in the game. It’s a pity that one person could not defeat the entire Nuggets team. Without Harden’s help, Leonard would be alone. For Leonard, the playoffs remained healthy this season, but the team was still out in the first round. Sometimes it’s a pity to think about it. When Leonard was healthy, the Clippers did not make a breakthrough in the playoffs, and when they were injured, they did not make a breakthrough. After the game is over, for the Clippers, the team will be re-evaluated this offseason. If you retain the existing lineup, you will only play in the playoffs at most. Don’t think about winning the championship. If the team is demolished and rebuilt, it is also an option. In short, the Clippers' championship window is completely closed. After all, Leonard will be one year older in next season, and Harden will be one year older. In short, let’s take a look at the Clippers’ offseason operations. If rebuild, don't be surprised.

Links: